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Roger Kain appointed Dean and Chief Executive of the School of Advanced Study

Roger Kain appointed Dean and Chief Executive of the School of Advanced Study

Monday 2 November 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The University of London’s School of Advanced Study is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Roger Kain CBE FBA as its new Dean and Chief Executive.

Professor Kain, who is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Exeter and Treasurer and a Vice-President of the British Academy, will assume the Deanship on 1 April 2010.

Date released: 2 November 2009

Professor Roger Kain, a distinguished scholar and prominent figure in higher education, brings substantial experience to his new role. Professor Kain is a graduate and fellow of University College London and has been Montefiore Professor of Geography at the University of Exeter since 1991 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor since 2002. He is also currently responsible for the Schools of Arts, Languages and Literatures and Humanities and Social Sciences at Exeter. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1990 and appointed CBE in 2005.

The focus of Professor Kain’s personal research is the history of maps and mapping, and he has published a number of award-winning books and has managed seven externally-funded research projects. He was Chair of the Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers Annual Conference in 2002, President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science Geography Section in 2004, and a member of the Department for Education Skills and Education Higher Education Research Forum. He was a member of the Universities UK and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)/Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) working group on research assessment after 2008 and a founder member of the Research Information Network Advisory Board. He is Treasurer and a Vice-President of the British Academy, has chaired the Academy’s Human Geography and Social Anthropology Section and was founder chair of its Research Grants Committee. He is a member of the AHRC Council and the HEFCE Research Committee.

Professor Roger Kain will assume leadership at a critical time for the School. In 2007, the School underwent a HEFCE review, led by Sir Ivor Crewe, which concluded that it was a “centre of excellence making a significant contribution to the national research base of the humanities and social sciences”. Funding was agreed for a further five-year period, until 2012-13, when a follow-up review will be held. Significant progress has been made by the School in meeting the recommendations of the Crewe report under the leadership of Professor Sir Roderick Floud, Dean 2007-2009, and Professor Mike Edwards, acting Dean from 1 October 2009. Professor Kain will continue to lead the School forward, building on the strong progress already made, to ensure that it continues to deliver the results for which it currently receives national funding.

Professor Roger Kain said: “I could not wish for a more exciting opportunity than to follow Sir Roderick Floud and Professor Mike Edwards in leading the School of Advanced Study as its Dean and Chief Executive. The School's outstanding research in the humanities and social sciences fits perfectly with what I have been doing at both Exeter and in the British Academy to promote the health of these disciplines.”

Professor Mike Edwards, current acting Dean and Director of the School’s Institute of Classical Studies, said: “It has been a privilege to lead the School at this time, building on the solid foundations laid by Sir Roderick Floud in preparation for the arrival of our new Dean. These are exciting times for us and I look forward to working closely with Roger Kain as we strive to ensure that the School continues to deliver its excellent research promotion and facilitation activities to the national and international communities of researchers.”

Sir Graeme Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, commented: “The University and the School of Advanced Study has been extremely fortunate to secure the leadership of Professor Roger Kain. Professor Kain brings a wealth of experience in academic research and academic management to both institutions. He will provide strategic leadership to take the School forward at this crucial but exciting time and I am certain that the School will continue to thrive and develop in his hands.”

For more information, please contact the Dean’s Office, School of Advanced Study on 020 7862 8659 / deans.office@sas.ac.uk

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together the specialised scholarship and resources of ten prestigious postgraduate research Institutes to offer academic opportunities across a wide range of subject fields in the humanities and social sciences. It is a unique centre for scholarship and is the only nationally-funded institution dedicated to the facilitation and promotion of research within its subject fields in the UK. http://www.sas.ac.uk/